According to Ranaka, the Diale storyline has always been a missing link on the soapie, which previously focused on a black middle class at the expense of a black working class.

She argues that while it is not wrong to depict a black middle class in Sandton, it is also important to show the other side of the black lived experience in townships such as Alexandra, which is in close proximity to Sandton.

Noting the political connotations highlighted by Ranaka, Tabane points at how interesting it is that the soapie distinguishes South Africa’s rich and poor divide.

He argues that what is being depicted on screen is a microcosm of everything that is wrong in the country.

While Ranaka is not keen on politics, she says that she understand how a show like generations can be seen as a microcosm of what is happening in the country at large.

She argues that being a television star does not mix well with politics as it’s like “shooting yourself in the foot”.

On activism within the arts, specifically in relation to the firing of the previous cast members of Generations, Ranaka says, while she was told not to audition for the soapie in protest, she could not let a historical show such as Generations go down in flames.

She argues that stating that people were fired due to the demand for more pay is simplifying the matter, and that there is more to the story than what is publicly known.